Tuesday, October 18, 2005

don't blame me, I voted for Kodos

So we've got a government eh? By we I mean New Zealand (the royal 'we'), I don't really consider myself sufficiently part of Australia to comfortably include the 25-odd million people here in a two letter word. Perhaps in a slightly longer word.. but no, I'm being uncharitable, some of my best friends are Australians! Honest!

Back to NZ though. Yes, a government has been formed. Or congealed. Deposited even. I'm sure there are much more worthy, erudite and frankly better informed commentaries over at Public Address, No Right Turn, Just Left, FrogBlog, et al. But in any case I'm going to drop my pennies worth. Or five cents now I guess - it being the smallest currency available.

Labour won. Tentative yay! I grew up in a Labour supporting household, and have been a Labour voter in the past (prior to the advent of MMP, when I gained a choice). So some of my sympathies lie there. And I grudgingly like Helen, even if she can be far too damn authoritarian for my liking (I have issues with authority figures, as I'm sure I've mentioned many times). She's at least capable and intelligent - and appears to have a soul. Something missing from many other politicians: I think some get it removed before entering office as it tends to get in the way. Most of the rest find theirs dissolving after a few terms.

Anyway, congrats to Labour, credit where it's due. But what the hell happened since the election? I was tentatively expecting a Labour-Progressive-Greens-Maori Party coalition but it seems egos and personalities got in the way of that ever happening. So now we have the prospect of a Labour-New Zealand First-United Future bolt-through-the-neck monster lumbering around scaring the natives (literally) for the next three years.

Peter Dunne, the most pointless politician in NZ, is in Government. Dragging in with him his raft of anti-gay, anti-women, anti-tolerance platforms. And as if that's not enough Winston Peters is back! There's a phoenix story for you. And of course he'll be pushing his well-worn wagon full of immigrant hate, iwi-bashing, and youth fear.

Goddamn.

It almost - almost - makes me happy I'm in Australia. Right up until I look at the politicians over here and want to vomit. Ok, so things could be so much worse..

...

Good, that feels better.. I needed to get that out of my system.

I'm not giving up hope yet. I'm just angry at the wheeling and dealing that goes on in politics. Yes, I'm aware that the system we have now is immeasurably preferable to the old FPP days, it still rankles when deals get cut, concessions made and the politicians and parties don't really seem to give a monkeys about what the people actually voted for.

Fuck it. That's life. I'm over it now.

Oh, congrats to the Greens tho - for having a conscience (being the conscience of the whole parliament really), having a solid platform and having the balls to stick to their ideals even if it meant getting passed over again for inclusion in a Government. Go you smelly hippies! :D